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SERMON 45

About Allah's greatness and lowliness of this world

Praise is due to Allah from Whose mercy no one loses hope from Whose bounty no one is deprived from Whose forgiveness no one is disappointed and for Whose worship no one is too high. His mercy never ceases and His bounty is never missed.

This world is a place for which destruction is ordained and for its inhabitants departure from here is destined. It is sweet and green. It hastens towards its seeker and attaches to the heart of the viewer. So depart from here with the best of provision available with you and do not ask herein more than what is enough and do not demand from it more than subsistence.

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SERMON 46

When Amir al-mu'minin decided to march towards Syria (ash-Sham) he spoke these words:

My Allah I seek Thy protection from the hardships of
journey from the grief of returning and from the scene of devastation of property and men. O' Allah Thou art the companion in journey and Thou art one who is left behind for (pro-


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[ 45 ] ومن خطبة له عليه السلام

وهو بعض خطبة طويلة خطبها يوم الفطر، وفيها يحمد الله ويذم الدنيا

حمد الله الْحَمْدُ للهِ غَيْرَ مَقْنُوطٍ (1) مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ، وَلاَ مَخْلُوٍّ مِنْ نِعْمَتِهِ، وَلاَ مَأْيُوسٍ مِنْ مَغْفِرَتِهِ، وَلاَ مُسْتَنْكَفٍ (2) عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ، الَّذِي لاَ تَبْرَحُ مِنْهُ رَحْمَةٌ، وَلاَ تُفْقَدُ لَهُ نِعْمَةٌ.

ذم الدنيا وَالدُّنْيَا دَارٌ مُنِيَ لَهَا الْفَنَاءُ (3) ، وَلاَِهْلِهَا مِنْهَا الْجَلاَءُ (4) ، وَهِيَ حُلْوَةٌ خَضِرَةٌ، قَدْ عُجِّلَتْ لِلطَّالِبِ، وَالْتَبَسَتْ بِقَلْبِ النَّاظِرِ (5) ; فَارْتَحِلُوا مِنْهَا بِأَحْسَنِ مَا بِحَضْرَتِكُمْ مِنَ الزَّادِ، وَلاَ تَسْأَلُوا فِيها فَوْقَ الْكَفَافِ (6) ، وَلاَ تَطْلُبُوا مِنْهَا أكْثَرَ مِنَ الْبَلاَغِ (7) .

[ 46 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام

عند عزمه على المسير إِلى الشام

وهو دعاء دعا به ربَّه عند وضع رجله في الركاب:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ وَعْثَاءِ السَّفَرِ (1) ، وَكَآبَةِ المُنْقَلَبِ (2) ، وَسُوءِ المَنظَرِ فِي الْأَهْلِ وَالمَالِ والْوَلَدِ. اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الصَّاحِبُ في السَّفَرِ، وَأَنْتَ


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tection of the) family. None except Thee can join these two because one who is left behind cannot be a companion in journey nor one who is in company on a journey can at the same time be left behind.

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: The earlier part of this sermon is related from the Prophet but Amir al-mu'minin has completed it very aptly by adding most eloquent sentences at the end. This addition is from "None except Thee can join" upto the end.

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SERMON 47

About calamities befalling Kufah

O' Kufah as though I see you being drawn like the tanned leather of 'Ukazi (1) in the market you are being scraped by calamities and being ridden by severe troubles. I certainly (2) know that if any tyrant intends evil for you Allah will afflict him with worry and fling him with a killer (set someone on him to kill him).

(1). During pre-Islamic days a market used to be organised every year near Mecca. Its name was 'Ukaz where mostly hides were traded as a result of which leather was attributed to it. Besides sale and purchase literary meetings were also arranged and Arabs used to attract admiration by reciting their works. After Islam because of the better congregation in the shape of hajj this market went down.

(2). This prophecy of Amir al-mu'minin was fulfilled word by word and the world saw how the people who had committed tyranny and oppression on the strength of their masterly power had to face tragic end and what ways of their destruction were engendered by their blood-shedding and homicidal activities. Consequently the end of Ziyad ibn


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الْخلِيفَةُ فِي الْأَهْلِ، وَلاَ يَجْمَعُهُما غَيْرُكَ، لاَِنَّ الْمُسْتَخْلَفَ لاَ يَكُونُ مُسْتَصْحَباً، وَالمُسْتَصْحَبُ لاَ يَكُونُ مُسْتَخْلَفاً.

قال السيد الشريف: رضي اللّه عنه: وابتداء هذا الكلام مرويّ عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله، وقد قفّاه أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام بأبلغ كلام وتمّمه بأحسن تمام; من قوله: «ولا يجْمَعُهُمَا غَيْرُكَ» إلى آخر الفصل.

[ 47 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام

في ذكر الكوفة

كَأَنَّي بِكِ يَاكُوفَةُ تُمَدِّينَ مَدَّ الْأَدَيمِ (1) الْعُكَاظِيِّ (2) ، تُعْرَكِينَ بِالنَّوَازِلِ (3) ، وَتُرْكَبِينَ بِالزَّلاَزِلِ، وَإِنِّي لَأَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ مَاأَرَادَ بِكِ جَبَّارٌ سُوءاً إِلاَّ ابْتَلاَهُ اللهُ بِشَاغِلٍٍ، وَرَمَاهُ بِقَاتِلٍ!

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Abih (son of unknown father) was that when he intended to deliver a speech for vilification of Amir al-mu'minin suddenly paralysis overtook him and he could not get out of his bed thereafter. The end of the bloodshed perpetrated by 'Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad was that he fell a prey to leprosy and eventually blood thirsty swords put him to death. The ferocity of al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf ath-Thaqafi drove him to the fate that snakes cropped up in his stomach as a result of which he died after severe pain. 'Umar ibn Hubayrah al-Fazari died of leucoderma. Khalid ibn 'Abdillah al-Qasri suffered the hardships of prison and was killed in a very bad way. Mus'ab ibn az-Zubayr and Yazid ibn al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufrah were also killed by swords.

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